


Dark Dreams (and Brighter Dawns)

by TheMalhamBird



Category: 14th Century CE RPF
Genre: M/M, canon was all a bad dream
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-10-11 08:06:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20542850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMalhamBird/pseuds/TheMalhamBird
Summary: Edward Duke of Aumerle wakes up from a terrifying nightmare of Richard's destruction. Whether it's a premonition or not, it may just help to change the future...





	Dark Dreams (and Brighter Dawns)

**Author's Note:**

> This is an old work I'm reasonably sure I posted to tumblr somewhere, but God knows when or where. Anyway, hope you all enjoy!

Edward woke in a cold sweat, heart hammering against his ribcage and blood pounding in his ears. It was still dark outside; the fire in the grate had died down to a few burning embers- they glowed red like the eyes of so many demons, and Edward fought to get his breathing under control.

Richard shifted slightly in his sleep, bare foot brushing against Edward’s ankle. Edward turned his head to stare at the sleeping King, drinking his presence in like a man in a desert who had miraculously found a cool, clear well. Richard- his legs were tangled with Edward’s, his arm held Edward in a loose embrace. He was there, he was safe…

But it had all felt so real. And the horror of what Edward had thought he’d seen wasn’t receding, as was usual with nightmares- if anything, the longer he stared at Richard’s quiet, gracile form the more discomforted Edward became. He slowly untangled himself, rolling out of the bed and landing lightly on his feet, padding round to the window and staring out. There was no moon. The stars winked coldly.

“Aumerle?” Edward spun round to find Richard wide awake and staring at him, propped up on one elbow. “What’s wrong, are you unwell?”

“I-” Edward swallowed, cursing Richard’s ability to wake up at the mere suggestion of a disturbance. “I had-” he cast about for words to explain it. The concern on Richard’s face grew and he too swung out of bed, sweeping across the floor to fold him in to his arms. In his thin white shift and the flickering candlelight, he looked a little like a ghost. Edward buried his face in the warmth Richard’s neck as Richard caressed his hair with one hand, and let out a small sob. 

** “You’re trembling.”  **

Richard said. “Darling, what’s happened?” he drew back and pressed the back of his hand to Edward’s forehead, as though searching for signs of fever.“Do you-” Edward gulped. “Do you believe that dreams can tell the future?”“What did you see?” Richard asked, drawing him back in to an embrace. Edward seized fistfuls of the fabric at his back. 

“I dreamt- Richard, I- I think, maybe- the orders you gave Mowbray tonight- they were right,” he added, as he felt Richard stiffen- “they were right, you had no other choice, I know that but I think- Richard, I think you need to explain. To- to his brothers…and…Lady Gloucester- and Harry, you need to explain to Harry if no one else _why-”_

“What did you see?” Richard asked again gently, drawing back and scanning Edward’s face. His eyes…even at moments like this, Edward couldn’t help feeling like he could get lost in those eyes. He tried to pull his thoughts together.

“I saw- everything collapsing, all at once. Harry- Bolingbroke- I dreamt he- he did- awful things, and he- he took a dagger and he put it- here-” he placed a hand over Richard’s heart. He felt the steady, unwavering rhythm, and Richard’s quiet, level breathing. “I felt- what it would be like if you died and it was as though I couldn’t breathe without you-” despite the fact that it had been perhaps the most terrifying part of the dream he didn’t add what else he had felt: a dreadful certainty that he might not be able to live without Richard, but he wouldn’t be brave enough to die for him, either. “Uncle Thomas was at the centre of it all,” he mumbled. “His ghost- he was laughing, dragging it all up-”

Richard moved away and over to his writing-desk, pulling out a sheaf of paper and picking up his quill. He wrote quickly, called for a guard as he did so-

A captain of the Cheshire Archers stepped in. “What, Dickon,” the man said urgently- Richard smiled, as always, to hear the diminutive of his name from the mouth of his guards. There was more affection and true care in that one example of blatantly pissing on protocol than he’d had in an entire lifetime of his uncles’ “majesties”. He folded his hastily scrawled note in thirds, tipped wax over it without a care for how it looked, and pressed the seal of his ring to it before holding it out. 

“Your swiftest and most discreet man to my cousin of Hereford, and back here with him as fast as he is able, on a matter of some urgency. He is with his father my Lord Uncle of Lancaster at Kenilworth, or ought to be- if he is not discover his whereabouts but this business concerns him alone, you understand?” 

“Aye, my lord- tell Old Goat to keep his beaky nose out of king’s business,” the Captain said cheerfully. Richard smiled again; the man bowed low, and left the room with a lingering, backwards glance as said from the door “good night- my lords,” before closing it firmly shut behind them. 

Edward looked to Richard as the king strolled back to him and caressed the sides of his face. “See now, darling, all will be well. When Harry comes…” Edward frowned, and reached out his own hand, brushing Richard’s cheek,

“You’re trembling,” he said. 

Richard kissed him. “It’s cold,” he murmured.

“I could warm you up.” Edward kissed him back, deeply, fiercely, pressing his body against Richard’s. The terror was fading, now- so long as Henry could be persuaded of Richard’s rightness there was nothing to fear- but still, he wanted to that Richard was really here, safe, sound. Wanted- he needed it, like he needed air-

Richard scooped him up and carried him back over to the bed, laying him down gently and climbing on top, one knee planted either side of Edward’s thighs. he leant down, and kissed him again.


End file.
